The Tragic Hero

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Assessment Task 1: Research & Analysis The Tragic Hero by Claudette Armstrong The concept of the tragic hero originates from Ancient Greek tragedies, and was also initially defined by Greek philosopher, Aristotle. A tragedy commonly refers to the subgenre of plays within the drama genre that have their origins with the Ancient Greeks. Tragedies have the concept of human suffering at their core, alongside a sense of enthrallment, a catharsis, and pleasure in their viewing. Athens was the birthplace of the genre, and it fully flowered in the fifth century B.C. with the help of three Greek tragedians by the names of Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. Greek tragedies have inspired many great playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, which had gradually brought more attention to the tragedy genre. A tragic hero is the protagonist from any literary outputs including plays and novels, who displays a tragic flaw which eventually leads to their own spiralling downfall. Aristotle's defining attributes include being characterised by both good and evil, born of noble birth and the responsibility of the individual. The hubristic tragic flaw known as the hamartia is the cause of the downfall. Typically the relatable hero goes on a journey bringing him to his tragic fate which accepts with honour. An example of a well-fitted tragic hero is the character King Oedipus, created by Sophocles. This is because Oedipus had been the model for Aristotle's definition. Imperfections within the personality of the hero are revealed to the audience to be the ultimate cause of their downfall. In a typical situation it involves the hamartia and uncontrollable emotions which lead to errors in judgement or arguments and deaths in the hero or surrounding characters. In Oedipus's case, he is portrayed to be irritable and have a very hubris nature. Oedipus is not

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